Ghana vs Zambia
Ghana vs Zambia: GDP growth
GDP growth in 2025: 6% a year in Ghana and 3.8% a year in Zambia, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Ghana, by 2.2 percentage points, or 1.58 times that in Zambia.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Ghana has been higher since 2024, when it overtook Zambia.
- In 2025, Ghana ranked 24 and Zambia ranked 58 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ghana at 5% a year and Zambia at 5.3% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Ghana | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | 3.8 |
| 2024 | 5.8 | 3.8 |
| 2023 | 3.1 | 5.4 |
| 2022 | 3.8 | 5.2 |
| 2021 | 5.1 | 6.2 |
| 2020 | 0.5 | -2.8 |
| 2019 | 6.5 | 1.4 |
| 2018 | 6.2 | 4 |
| 2017 | 8.1 | 3.5 |
| 2016 | 3.4 | 3.8 |
| 2015 | 2.1 | 2.9 |
| 2014 | 2.9 | 4.7 |
| 2013 | 7.2 | 5.1 |
| 2012 | 8.4 | 7.6 |
| 2011 | 14 | 5.6 |
| 2010 | 7.8 | 10.3 |
| 2009 | 5.7 | 9.2 |
| 2008 | 9 | 7.8 |
| 2007 | 4.1 | 8.4 |
| 2006 | 5.8 | 7.9 |
| 2005 | 6.2 | 7.2 |
| 2004 | 5.4 | 7 |
| 2003 | 5.1 | 6.9 |
| 2002 | 4.6 | 4.5 |
| 2001 | 3.8 | 5.3 |
| 2000 | 3.6 | 3.9 |
| 1999 | 4.5 | 4.7 |
| 1998 | 5 | -0.4 |
| 1997 | 5.8 | 3.8 |
| 1996 | 4.8 | 6.2 |
| 1995 | 4.2 | 2.9 |
| 1994 | 3.5 | -13.3 |
| 1993 | 4.8 | -0.1 |
| 1992 | 4.5 | 2.1 |
| 1991 | 4.8 | -0.7 |
| 1990 | 3.6 | -0.6 |
| 1989 | 4.5 | -3.7 |
| 1988 | 6.5 | 9.3 |
| 1987 | 6.7 | 1.5 |
| 1986 | 6.2 | 1.7 |
| 1985 | 6.4 | 1.2 |
| 1984 | 9.4 | -1.7 |
| 1983 | -6.2 | -1.1 |
| 1982 | -8.3 | -2.9 |
| 1981 | -3.8 | 6.6 |
| 1980 | 0.5 | 3.9 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Ghana | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5.7 | 5.6 |
| 2027 | 5.2 | 4.9 |
| 2028 | 5 | 5 |
| 2029 | 5 | 5.3 |
| 2030 | 5 | 5.3 |
| 2031 | 5 | 5.3 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Ghana vs Zambia
Health
- Life expectancyGhana: 65.5 years in 2023Zambia: 66.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityGhana: 3.6 per 100 live births in 2024Zambia: 4.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityGhana: 30.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zambia: 38.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionGhana: 3.4% in 2017Zambia: 3.64% in 2017
- Suicide rateGhana: 9.7 per 100,000 people in 2017Zambia: 13.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationGhana: 33.8 million people in 2023Zambia: 20.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthGhana: 1.9% a year in 2023Zambia: 2.83% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateGhana: 3.4 births per woman in 2023Zambia: 4.1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationGhana: 58.9% in 2025Zambia: 45.9% in 2025
- Median ageGhana: 20.9 years in 2023Zambia: 17.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overGhana: 3.6% in 2023Zambia: 1.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateGhana: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Zambia: 0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingGhana: 0.48% of GDP in 2025Zambia: 1.26% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsGhana: $385M in 2025Zambia: $343M in 2025
- Military spending per personGhana: $15 in 2025Zambia: $19 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingGhana: 2.4% of government spending in 2025Zambia: 4.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelGhana: 16,000 people in 2020Zambia: 16,000 people in 2020
- National powerGhana: 0.17% of world capability in 2022Zambia: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersGhana: 0.13% of the labour force in 2020Zambia: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsGhana: 5 million TIV in 2025Zambia: 1 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsGhana: 19 million TIV in 2005Zambia: 2 million TIV in 1990